Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar (Express Phtoto by Jasbir Malhi) In an attempt to counter the resolution passed by Punjab Vidhan Sabha staking claim on Chandigarh, Haryana Vidhan Sabha also announced to conven a special session of Vidhan Sabha on April 5, Tuesday.
The decision to call the special session of Vidhan Sabha was taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday. Facing pressure from the opposition and a demand from within the party and its ally JJP, Haryana’s council of ministers took the decision that a special session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha should be called to counter Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s resolution.
“A cabinet meeting was held on Sunday under the chairmanship of CM Manohar Lal Khattar. It was decided in this meeting that a special session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha will be called on April 5, 2022 at 11 am. A letter in this regard will be sent to Haryana Governor and Speaker of Vidhan Sabha”, a government spokesperson said.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha, on April 1, had passed a resolution seeking immediate transfer of Chandigarh to the state, with CM Bhagwant Mann accusing the Centre of trying to upset the balance in the administration of the Union Territory and other common assets.
Immediately after, Haryana’s leaders from across the party lines started hitting back at the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab. Khattar, home minister Anil Vij, BJP state president Om Prakash Dhankar, former cabinet minister Capt Abhimanyu, various cabinet ministers and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, HPCC chief Kumari Selja, INLD’s MLA Abhay Chautala and various other MLAs of Haryana had condemned Punjab government’s move.
Soon after the Punjab Vidhan Sabha’s resolution, Haryana’s leaders started raking up other issues asking Punjab to first implement the Supreme Court’s verdict on SYL canal and also demanded that Hindi speaking areas in Punjab should be transferred to Haryana.
Politicians from across party lines in Haryana had been demanding a special session of Vidhan Sabha to counter Punjab government’s move.
Leader of opposition and former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday again condemned the resolution passed by the Punjab government in the Vidhan Sabha regarding Chandigarh as a political “jumla”. “Chandigarh was, is, and will be of Haryana and that no one will be allowed to harm the interests of the state and they are willing to make any sacrifice to protect the interests of the state, including leading a Padyatra or any other step in the welfare of the state,” Hooda said.
Addressing a press conference in Rohtak on Sunday, Hooda said, “All political parties will have to show solidarity in the interest of the state and all parties will have to clarify their opinion on this issue. There is a dispute with Punjab not only over the capital but also over Hindi speaking areas and water from the SYL. In such a situation, everyone will have to strongly defend the rights of the state”.
“I have also called a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi on Monday to discuss the issue. In the meeting, all the strategies including meeting with the President or the Prime Minister will be discussed. Even before this, the leaders of all the parties have met the President to demand the implementation of the Supreme Court’s decision on SYL we have not been able to meet the Prime Minister on this issue till now. The state government should ask the Prime Minister for time,” Hooda said.
Hooda also expressed concerns over the ever-increasing inflation and said in the midst of ever-increasing prices of petrol and diesel, the DAP rate and the government in Haryana have hit a double whammy on the poor and common man by deciding to increase the electricity rates. “All this when the people of Haryana are already facing the highest inflation in the country,” he said.
Hooda announced that if the Congress government is formed in future, electricity will be provided free to the poor and at affordable rates for the the middle class. He also reiterated that the old pension scheme of the employees will also be restored, if his government is formed.
He said that the BJP and the BJP-JJP government have taken anti-people decisions in their entire tenure. “This government has neither spared the elderly nor the children. This government has decided to cut pension of the elderly and abolish Rule 134A, which provided good education to poor children. “This is a wholly anti-people government. Corruption has seeped into every pore of this government,” he said.
JJP leader Digvijay Chautala said, “Haryana knows it very well how to fight for its legitimate rights. We know how to keep Haryana a joint capital with Punjab and also how to keep it a solo capital of Haryana. The resolution passed by Punjab government holds no meaning because Chandigarh had been a joint capital of Punjab and Haryana for the last 55 years”.
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